APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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State of Tennessee v. Michael Gooding

W2011-00970-CCA-R3-CD

After a jury trial, Defendant Michael Gooding was convicted of third offense driving under the influence of an intoxicant (DUI). The trial court sentenced him to serve 160 days in the county workhouse. Defendant’s sole issue on appeal is a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the conviction of DUI. We affirm the conviction of DUI, third offense, but remand for entry of a corrected judgment setting forth the correct sentence of 11 months and 29 days, with all but 160 days suspended for DUI, third offense, and for designation that counts 1, 2, and 4 are merged with count 3.

Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:Judge John Fowlkes Jr.
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/25/12
Kenneth Rich v. State of Tennessee

W2011-00891-CCA-R3-HC

Petitioner, Kenneth Rich, appeals from the habeas corpus trial court’s order dismissing, without an evidentiary hearing, the petition for writ of habeas corpus relief filed by Petitioner. After reviewing the entire record, we affirm the judgment of the habeas corpus court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:Judge R. Lee Moore Jr.
Lake County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/25/12
State of Tennessee v. Steven Wayne Wilson

M2011-00004-CCA-R3-CD

A Sequatchie County Circuit Court jury convicted the defendant, Steven Wayne Wilson, of first degree felony murder,see T.C.A.§ 39-13-202(a)(2),and especially aggravated burglary, see id. § 39-14-404. Following the jury’s verdicts, the trial court modified the especially aggravated burglary conviction to aggravated burglary by operation of law, see id. § 39-14404(d), and imposed an effective sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole, also by operation of law, see id. § 39-13-208(c). On appeal, the defendant contends that (1) the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions, (2) the trial court erroneously denied his motion to suppress, (3) the trial court erroneously admitted and excluded evidence during Agent Mark Wilson’s testimony,(4) the trial court erroneously admitted expert  testimony via an unqualified witness,(5)the State failed to disclose exculpatory evidence,(6)the trial court erroneously instructed the jury regarding the elements of felony murder as charged in this case, (7) the trial court’s rulings and comments evinced judicial bias requiring recusal, (8) the trial court erroneously excluded as hearsay the statements of two witnesses, (9) the trial court erroneously admitted the autopsy report as an exhibit at trial, (10) the trial court erroneously admitted physical evidence without establishing a proper chain of custody, (11) the overall conduct of the trial deprived the defendant of his right to a fair trial under the Tennessee Constitution, and (12) the cumulative effect of the trial errors deprived the defendant of his right to a fair trial. Following an extensive review, we determine that the evidence is sufficient to support the convictions and that the trial court committed no reversible error. Accordingly, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge James Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Thomas W. Graham
Sequatchie County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/25/12
State of Tennessee v. Tarik Thompson

W2011-01277-CCA-R3-CD

A Shelby County jury convicted the Defendant, Tarik Thompson, of two counts of unlawful possession of dihydrocodeinone, a schedule III drug. The trial court merged the offenses, assessed a two thousand dollar fine, and sentenced the Defendant to eighteen months in the workhouse as a range one offender. On appeal, the Defendant contends: (1) the evidence is insufficient to sustain the Defendant’s conviction for one of the two counts of unlawful possession of dihydrocodeinone; and (2) the trial court committed plain error by failing to instruct the jury on the valid prescription exception to the offense of simple possession of dihydrocodeinone. After a thorough review of the record and relevant authorities, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge Paula Skahan
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/25/12
State of Tennessee v. Joshua Shell

E2011-01599-CCA-R3-CD

Defendant, Joshua Shell, appeals from the trial court’s order which revoked Defendant’s probation and ordered him to serve by incarceration his effective sentence of four years for one count of burglary, three counts of vehicle burglary, and four counts of theft. The State concedes error in the trial court’s proceedings and admits the case must be remanded for a probation violation hearing. We agree and reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand for a probation violation hearing.

Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:Judge E. Shayne Sexton
Union County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/25/12
Alonzo Quawndell Vinson v. State of Tennessee

E2011-00735-CCA-R3-PC

Petitioner, Alonzo Quawndell Vinson, appeals the post-conviction court’s dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief following an evidentiary hearing. The sole ground for relief presented at the hearing was that Petitioner’s sentence for aggravated assault, imposed pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, is illegal, and the judgment of conviction is therefore void. After a thorough review of the record and the briefs, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court pursuant to Rule 20 of the Rules of the Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee.

Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood
Knox County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/25/12
State of Tennessee v. Randall Mason Nunn

E2011-01881-CCA-R3-CD

Defendant, Randall Mason Nunn, pursuant to a plea agreement, pled guilty in the Criminal Court of Sullivan County to misdemeanor theft of services, a Class A misdemeanor, and to the Class A misdemeanor offense of failure to appear. Pursuant to the agreement, he received concurrent sentences of 11 months and 29 days with a 75% service of the effective sentence prior to eligibility for work release, furlough, trusty status, and related rehabilitative programs. The issue of whether Defendant would serve his sentence totally in confinement or by some other alternative sentence was to be determined by the trial court on a later date announced in open court and acknowledged by Defendant. Defendant, whowas represented by counsel throughout the proceedings, failed to appear for his scheduled sentencing hearing, or for any of the three subsequently scheduled sentencing hearings. Each time Defendant’s counsel announced that Defendant had just reported to counsel that Defendant’s child had a medical condition which required Defendant’s presence at hospitals in Knoxville and later in Nashville. The trial court held the last scheduled hearing with Defendant absent and ordered Defendant to serve his entire sentence. Defendant appeals, arguing he should have been granted alternative sentencing. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:Judge R. Jerry Beck
Sullivan County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/25/12
Tommy Lee Pendleton v. State of Tennessee

M2011-02207-CCA-R3-PC

Petitioner, Tommy Lee Pendleton, pled guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual battery and received concurrent sentences of fourteen years. He filed a petition for post-conviction relief alleging that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance of counsel by failing to file a bill of particulars, by failing to obtain an expert witness to review the statements of the child victim, and by failing to spend adequate time investigating the case and preparing for trial. He further contends that his guilty pleas were involuntary because trial counsel’s errors tainted the plea process. Finally, he claims that the trial court should not have accepted his plea in light of his hesitance during the guilty plea hearing. Discerning no error in the proceedings, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Roger A. Page
Originating Judge:Judge Thomas W. Graham
Franklin County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/23/12
Michael Jones v. State of Tennessee

W2011-01465-CCA-R3-PC

The Petitioner, Michael Jones, appeals the Shelby County Criminal Court’s denial of post-conviction relief from his conviction for second degree murder and resulting thirty-year sentence. The Petitioner contends that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel and that his guilty plea was unknowing, involuntary, and unintelligent because he received the ineffective assistance of counsel. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:Judge James Lammey
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/23/12
Phedrek Davis v. State of Tennessee

M2011-01366-CCA-R3-CO

The Petitioner, Phedrek Davis, appeals from the Davidson County Criminal Court’s summary dismissal of his petition for writ of error coram nobis. In this appeal as of right, the Petitioner contends that the coram nobis court erred by summarily dismissing his petition. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the coram nobis court.

Authoring Judge: Judge D.Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Seth Norman
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/23/12
State of Tennessee v. Dana Hubbard

W2011-00470-CCA-R3-CD

The Defendant, Dana Hubbard, pled guilty to theft of property valued over $1000, a Class D felony. See T.C.A. §§ 39-14-103, 39-14-105 (2010). He was sentenced as a Range I, standard offender to two years’ probation. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the trial court erred by denying his request for judicial diversion. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry L. Smith
Originating Judge:Judge Paula Skahan
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/20/12
Darnell Hubbard v. State of Tennessee

W2011-02037-CCA-R3-PC

A Shelby County jury convicted the Petitioner, Darnell Hubbard, of first degree murder, and he received a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. On appeal, this Court affirmed the Petitioner’s conviction. State v. Darnell Hubbard, No. W2007-02482-CCA-R3-CD, 2009 WL 2568200, at *1 (Tenn. Crim. App., at Jackson, Aug. 20, 2009), perm. app. denied (Tenn. Nov. 23, 2009). The Petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief, asserting several claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and a claim that the State failed to disclose exculpatory evidence to the defense. After a hearing on the petition, the post-conviction court denied the petition. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that the post-conviction court erred when it denied his petition. After a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we affirm the post-conviction court’s judgment.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge Paula Skahan
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/20/12
State of Tennessee v. Gabriel Demon Williams

E2011-02092-CCA-R3-CD

The Defendant, Gabriel Demon Williams, pled guilty to aggravated burglary, and the trial court sentenced him to five years of split confinement, with eleven months and twenty-nine days to be served in jail followed by intensive probation. The Defendant’s probation officer filed a probation violation warrant that alleged that the Defendant had violated the terms of his probation by being arrested for aggravated assault and driving on a suspended license. After a hearing, the trial court revoked the Defendant’s probation and ordered the Defendant to serve the balance of his sentence in confinement. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the trial court improperly considered hearsay evidence during the revocation hearing and that its revocation order is contrary to the evidence. After reviewing the record, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge Rebecca J. Stern
Hamilton County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/20/12
Tamaine Works v. State of Tennessee

W2011-00209-CCA-R3-PC

The Petitioner, Tamaine Works, appeals from the Shelby County Criminal Court’s denial of post-conviction relief from his conviction for first degree premeditated murder and resulting life sentence. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that he did not receive the effective assistance of counsel and that the assistant district attorney general committed prosecutorial misconduct at his trial. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:Judge Chris Craft
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/20/12
State of Tennessee v. Jerry Elliot

W2011-00894-CCA-R3-CD

The Defendant, Jerry Elliot, was found guilty by a Henderson County Circuit Court jury of aggravated assault, a Class C felony. See T.C.A. § 39-13-102 (2010). He was sentenced as a Range II, multiple offender to ten years’ confinement. On appeal, he contends that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:Judge Donald H. Allen
Henderson County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/20/12
Tracy Rose Baker v. State of Tennessee

M2011-01381-CCA- R3-PC

The Appellant, Tracy Rose Baker, appeals the post-conviction court’s dismissal of her petition for post-conviction relief. The Appellant asserts that her guilty plea to criminal contempt charges is void due to constitutional infirmities stemming from the chancery court’s failure to conduct an in-court guilty plea acceptance hearing at the time of her guilty plea. Because we conclude that the Post-Conviction Procedure Act is not applicable to the Petitioner’s criminal contempt convictions, we affirm the post-conviction court’s dismissal of the Appellant’s petition.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge David Earl Durham
Sumner County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/20/12
State of Tennessee v. Tucson Biggs

W2011-01182-CCA-R3-CD

A Shelby County jury convicted the Defendant, Tucson Biggs, of voluntary manslaughter. At the sentencing hearing, the State requested that the Defendant be sentenced as a Range II, multiple offender. The Defendant objected, claiming that the State did not comply with Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-35-202(a) by providing notice of its intent to seek an enhanced punishment. The trial court agreed with the Defendant and sentenced him to six years as a Range I offender. On appeal, the State contends that the Defendant was on notice that he would face an enhanced punishment because, before trial, the State filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty and a notice of intent to impeach the Defendant’s testimony with his prior convictions, which satisfied the statutory requirements. After a thorough review of the record and relevant authorities, we agree that the State’s filings satisfied the purposes of the statutory notice requirement. As such, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand for a new sentencing hearing.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge Chris Craft
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/20/12
Terrence Gardner v. State of Tennessee

W2011-01631-CCA-R3-PC

A Shelby County jury convicted the Petitioner, Terrence Gardner, of first degree felony murder, aggravated robbery, and aggravated assault, and he was sentenced to life plus four years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. This Court affirmed the Petitioner’s conviction on direct appeal. State v. Terrence Gardner, No. W2008-01089-CCA-R3-CD, 2009 WL 3172124 (Tenn. Crim. App., at Jackson, Oct. 5, 2009), perm. app. denied (Tenn. Mar. 15, 2010). In 2010, the Petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief, alleging that he had received the ineffective assistance of counsel. After a hearing, the postconviction court dismissed the petition. Finding no error, we affirm the post-conviction court’s judgment.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge J. Robert Carter
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/20/12
Vivian Yvonne Armstrong v. State of Tennessee

M2011-00664-CCA-R3-PC

Petitioner, Vivian Armstrong, appeals the dismissal of her petition for post-conviction relief in which she alleged that her guilty plea was unknowingly and involuntarily entered due to the ineffective assistance of trial counsel. More specifically she contends that (1) trial counsel “scared” her into pleading guilty; (2) counsel failed to adequately meet with her and was unprepared to go to trial; and (3) counsel used the “safety valve” as an incentive to induce her into pleading guilty. After a thorough review of the record, we conclude that Petitioner has failed to show that her trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance of counsel, and we accordingly affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.
 

Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:Judge J. Randall Wyatt, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/18/12
State of Tennessee v. Jerome Sidney Barrett

M2010-00444-CCA-R3-CD

The Defendant, Jerome Sidney Barrett, was found guilty by a Davidson County Criminal Court jury of first degree murder for the 1975 homicide of S.D. See T.C.A. § 39-2402 (1975) (amended 1977, 1979, 1988) (renumbered at § 39-2-202) (repealed 1989). He was sentenced to life in prison. On appeal, he contends that: (1) the evidence was not sufficient to support the conviction; (2) the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress evidence; (3) the trial court erred in denying the motion to dismiss the indictment pursuant to State v. Ferguson, 2 S.W.3d 912 (Tenn. 1999), and alternatively, in failing to instruct the jury regarding the lack of an autopsy report; (4) the trial court erred in admitting evidence for which the chain of custody was not sufficiently shown; (5) the trial court erred in admitting an inmate’s testimony about the Defendant’s prior statements and improperly redacting the statements; (6) the trial court erred in admitting altered photographs; (7) the trial court limited the Defendant’s ability to present a defense by failing to rule definitively that evidence of the Defendant’s other crimes was inadmissible; (8) the trial court erred in denying the defense motion for expert services to assist in the motion for new trial; and (9) the Defendant’s due process rights were violated by the cumulative effect of the errors. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.
 

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:Judge Steve Dozier
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/18/12
State of Tennessee v. John Adrian Day

E2010-01108-CCA-R3-CD

The defendant was indicted on numerous charges stemming from his involvement in a domestic dispute over goldfish that occurred on October 22, 2002. After a trial by jury in which the defendant was represented by counsel, the defendant was found guilty of domestic assault, a Class A misdemeanor, resisting arrest, a Class B misdemeanor, and assault, a Class B misdemeanor. He was sentenced to six months probation on each count, with these sentences to be served concurrently. After his conviction, the defendant dismissed his trial counsel, proceeded pro se, and filed pleadings in the trial court that were construed as a motion for new trial. The trial court dismissed the motion, and the defendant now raises numerous challenges to his convictions, including claims that we liberally construe as a challenges to the sufficiency of the convicting evidence, challenges to the trial court’s decisions concerning the admissibility and inadmissability of certain evidence, a challenge to the trial court’s failure to provide certain jury instructions, and claims that his due process and speedy trial rights were violated. After carefully reviewing the record and the arguments of the parties, we hold that the evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support the defendant’s convictions, and we hold that the majority of the defendant’s remaining claims have been waived. We also hold that the defendant’s due process rights were not violated by the trial court. Consequently, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Originating Judge:Judge Russell Simmons, Jr.
Roane County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/18/12
State of Tennessee v. Keith Howard

M2011-00621-CCA-R3-CD

Defendant, Keith Howard, appeals the trial court’s revocation of his probation sentence. Defendant pled guilty to selling more than .5 grams of cocaine with an agreed ten-year sentence, which was suspended except for ninety days, with credit for time served. The remainder of the ninety days was to be served on weekends. Subsequently, a probation violation warrant was filed, which alleged that Defendant had failed to follow his probation officer’s instruction that he submit to a drug test and that he absconded during his drug screen. Following the hearing the trial court revoked Defendant’s probation and entered a judgment placing Defendant’s original sentence into effect. We conclude that the evidence does not preponderate against the trial court’s finding of a violation, and that the trial court did not err by placing the original sentence into effect by ordering service in confinement. We therefore affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:Judge Cheryl Blackburn
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/18/12
State of Tennessee v. Michael W. Hunter

M2011-00535-CCA-R3-CD

Defendant, Michael W. Hunter, was indicted by the Dickson County Grand Jury for aggravated robbery. Following a jury trial, Defendant was convicted as charged and sentenced by the trial court to 10 years’ incarceration. Defendant appeals his conviction and assigns the following errors: 1) the trial court abused its discretion by admitting into evidence a garbage bag found in Defendant’s vehicle after the robbery; and 2) the prosecutor committed prosecutorial misconduct during closing arguments by improperly arguing facts not in evidence. Finding no error, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:Judge Robert E. Burch
Dickson County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/17/12
State of Tennessee v. Marcus Deangelo Lee aka Marcus Deangelo Jones

W2011-02160-CCA-R3-CD

In 1995, the Defendant, Marcus Deangelo Lee a/k/a Marcus Deangelo Jones, pled guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to sell, unlawful possession of a deadly weapon with intent to commit a crime, and sale of cocaine, and the trial court sentenced him to three years in the county workhouse. Between 2006 and present, the Petitioner has filed several pleadings challenging his convictions, including a petition for a writ of error coram nobis, a postconviction petition, a motion for delayed appeal, and a motion to reopen his post-conviction proceedings. All of these motions were denied or dismissed, and this Court affirmed their denial or dismissal. In 2011, the Petitioner filed a “Motion For Clarification and Correction of Clerical Error in Judgment . . . [,]” alleging that the 1995 handwritten judgments were obscured and illegible. The trial court reviewed the judgments, found them legible and without error, and denied the Defendant’s motion. It is from this judgment that the Defendant now appeals. Finding that the Defendant has no right of appeal from the denial of a Motion to Correct a Clerical Error, the Defendant’s appeal is dismissed.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge James Lammey
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/17/12
Taurus Merriweather v. State of Tennessee

W2011-01271-CCA-R3-PC

The Petitioner, Taurus Merriweather, appeals the Shelby County Criminal Court’s denial of his petition for post-conviction relief from his conviction for second degree murder and effective twenty-five-year sentence. On appeal, he contends that the trial court erred by finding that counsel provided the effective assistance of counsel. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:Judge Chris Craft
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/17/12